Two Types of Unhappy Online Research Results--None and Too Many

First: distinguish between "search engines" and the databases you tell them to search

Unhappy Result #1: Zero Results--

You are searching the right database but your search uses terms the experts do not use.

• Scan a popular site index using your terms.  See what reporters and the experts they quote call the things you see, using the Library online catalog, Infotrac's "Expanded Academic ASAP" index, Lexis/Nexis, or other indices that track articles in "popular" sources.  You need to use the "terms of art" that would be used by experts in the field.  If you are a beginner, you cannot skip this step.  Even experts can be fooled into missing search terms that would yield good sources.
• Consult a specialized dictionary or encyclopedia for the scholarly field you are researching and look for the correct terms there.
• Ask a local expert--consult Goucher faculty in a scholarly field you are researching and/or contact the Library's Readers' Services Librarians for help constructing your search vocabulary, choosing search engines and databases, and handling the search results.  The Writing Center tutors also can help you brainstorm your thesis, figure out your best readers' needs and concerns, and develop a research plan.

OR

You are using the right search vocabulary in the wrong database.

• Look at the top of the search return page.  Most search engines tell you what terms you used and what databases you were searching.  If that information is not clear, use the "Back" arrow on the browser to return to the search window page and pay close attention to what databases you chose.
• Ask a human expert--consult Goucher faculty in a scholarly field you are researching and/or contact the Library's Readers' Services Librarians for help selecting the best database for your search.

Unhappy Result #2: Too Many Results--

You are searching the right database, but you are using search terms that are not precise enough.

• Try the first two strategies to improve the accuracy of your search terms, using "terms of art" from the discipline you are working in, rather than generalists' terms, for what you seek.
• Rethink your search vocabulary based on "false hits" in your search, and add or subtract search terms to eliminate the junk.
• If one type of "false hit" predominates, add a key term from it as a "NOT" term to eliminate the false hits.
• Use a "published after" date limit to cut out older hits--usually, newer information is better information.  If you specifically want information from a specific period (e.g., press reports during, but not before or after, the First Gulf War, 1990-91), use the date limits to exclude hits from before and after (e.g., after 1989 and before 1992).
• Ask a human expert--consult Goucher faculty in a scholarly field you are researching and/or contact the Library's Readers' Services Librarians for help constructing your search vocabulary.